The Here and Now

Risk it all for love

BookPage® Review by Kimberly Giarratano

Prenna James was born in the 2080s, during a time of disease and environmental catastrophe. She and her mother escape a blood plague by traveling to the present day with a group of time travelers. Forced to assimilate, Prenna attends high school with kids who must never know she’s from the future—except for Ethan Jarves, who makes her feel special and safe.

But Prenna is under constant surveillance by the community elders, and she knows what happens to time travelers who fall in love with present-day people—they disappear. Rather than working on a solution to save the future, Prenna’s people haven’t done a thing except intimidate other time travelers into submission. Eventually she must make a decision: be with the boy she loves or save the world.

The Here and Now seems like a departure for Ann Brashares, whose best-selling novels focused on friendships and romance. Readers are given more to consider here, such as environmental abuse and self-sacrifice for the good of others. Prenna and Ethan are truly selfless and brave, and readers will root for their happiness—whether or not it’s what the future holds.

Kimberly Giarratano is the author of Grunge Gods and Graveyards, a young adult paranormal mystery.